Inhibiting Sprouting and Decreasing α-Solanine Amount of Stored Potatoes Using Hydrophobic Nanosilica

Abstract

Potatoes during storage tend to sprout, resulting in significant increase of the content of α-solanine, which is harmful to the health of human beings, and thus dramatically decreases the commercial value. For a solution to this problem, hydrophobic nanosilica (H-SiO2) was developed through the modification of nanosilica by amino silicon oil (ASO) and used as an inhibitor for potato sprouting. When potatoes were immersed in H-SiO2 ethanol solution, H-SiO2 endowed the potato with a hydrophobic surface and thus could effectively inhibit potato sprouting and decrease α-solanine contents. Importantly, H-SiO2 did not pass through the potato skin and could be washed off before cooking, which greatly ensured the food safety of the potato. In addition, H-SiO2 did not show any negative effect on the growth of cells, presenting a good biosafety. Thus, this technology was suitable for the storage of potatoes. Interestingly, this technology showed little negative effect on the germination of potatoes when used as see...